Date: 10/09/01 03:20 PM
Author: Angel Face (no profile)
Subject: Intensity cont.
Intensity again, as mentioned this is a V. large area so I will be
dealing with it several more times...this pretty much goes hand in hand
with training to failure and as this area has sparked some recent
discussions I will be covering this area several times, from a couple of
different view points...so what is said is not always gospel or an
exact...
...First off training with maximal weights...O>k before I delve into
this I want you to remember rate coding - smallest MUs first etc..well
unless a maximal load is lifted then only a portion of Motor Units are
utilised...Your body will only innervate the amount of Motor units that
are neccessary to perform the task!
...Back to Max weights, essentially gains elicited from max weight are
the result of the two previuos theories of neural adaptation:
intermuscular coordination and intramuscular coordination. Therefore the
majority of gains are not related to muscle growth but neural
efficiency...again I ask you to remeber what was mentioned previuosly
about hypertrophy in paticular the breakdown build up theory of protein
catabolism (training induces catabolism rest and recovery plus adaquate
protein intake induces supercompensation of protein and thus muscle
growth takes place) well because not enough WORK is performed when using
max weights (work = Force x Time, force = mass x acceleration)to
potentiate the neccessary muscle catabolism so that the anabolism can
take place...
...Training to failure via repeated subamaximal reps...this process of
training poetentiates differnet effects. Essentially as more work is
peformed in conjunction with rate coding, more motor units are recruited
to perform the set, again due to the fact that more work is performed
catabolism is markedly higher than training with maximal
weights....however strength gain is not the same as the most allegidle
important reps are performed at the end of set approaching
failure...this is because the higher threshold fatigueing motor units
are recruited and fatigued...thus causing the neccessary training effect
however as they are recruited while 'semi fatigued' the training effect
is not as significant on these motor units in comparison with max
weights.
...training submaximally from what has been mentioned above it would
seem fair to assume that this type of training would be pretty useless
unless it is performed to failure...however the difference between
taking a set to failure or to 1 or even 2 reps before failure will occur
seems negligible..plus by ,manipulating rest intervals shortening the
amount of rest inbetween consecutibe sets intensity is increased or by
increaseing the amount of time it takes to perform the
repetition...training to the exact moment of failure is not neccessarily
imperative...
So then it would appear that a big muscle isnt a strong muscle well this
is inaccurate, again nerual factors offer the reasoning...again I will
use rate coding it is extremely difficult to increase the strength of
slow motor units, hypertophy mainly occurs in the type 2a muscle fibres
(fast/intermediary fibres), consequently there is a correlation between
the size of a fast twitch muscle fibre and strength because the main
training adaptations occur in that muscle fibre type(s)...refering back
to what was said previoulsy about hypertophy due to increased
contrcatile proteins increases strength and muscle size....again this
will be discussed later.
...Next time I will present a different view on training to failure.
(
http://www.mesomorphosis.com/forums/...essage_ID=3954)